RUBY

                The entire family, my wife Stacey, my daughter Rachel, and my son Alex, were all in attendance on the field trip to find a new dog to replace our dog Stella that had just passed away.

                From the second we saw Ruby at the San Gabriel Humane Society we knew that she was the one. There was an instant connection we all felt, like we had known one another in a previous life. Once we were all together in the "get to know one another room" our first impressions were confirmed and she was ours. Or should I say we were hers?

                Ruby established the rules when we got her home. As she was getting her first sniffs  around the perimeter of the house a small nosey bird swooped down to around 4 feet over Ruby's head when she leapt straight up in the air and grabbed it. Despite our best efforts she devoured the entire bird, bone and all, in 2 minutes. An edict had been sent across the property that the presence of birds and lizards would not be tolerated on Ruby's watch. And so it remained for the next decade.

                Despite being the terror of small interlopers in the yard, she was the sweetest, smartest, and most intuitive dog I have ever owned. This dog understood English and when one of us spoke to her in a normal tone  she would immediately respond. This little pet trick amazed us all. It was not something we taught her, it was just a talent she had.

                Over the years she was also the best traveling dog. She instinctively knew where her spot was in the car on the long drive up to the Eastern Sierras, which is a 5 to 6 hour haul. Not a whimper or a whine, she was just happy to be there. As she got older, as with most dogs, she developed a few gas issues, but nothing a couple of ginger snap cookies couldn't cure.

                About the only negative quirk that she had was her toe nails. She would not let anyone cut them. Not us or even a professional with a muzzle. Nobody. I guess everyone is allowed a tick and her nails were it. The only thing we can assume is that somewhere in the early portion of her life, we rescued her when she was a little over a year old, someone must have hurt her when attempting to trim her nails. That  time was one time too many.

                Other than her nails, she gave us a stress free and unconditionally loving existence, but time catches up to us all and during the last few months they caught up to Ruby. Her decline came on quickly and we could see the writing on the wall.

                Her legs that once climbed the mountains of the June Lake Loop could no longer carry her to her food and water bowls. Her sharp instincts that struck fear in the hearts of lizards and birds in our yard were dulled to the point where she could barely make it to the lawn's edge with no energy left to complete the hunt. Her quality of life had ceased to be. It was time for all of us to let her go.

                So at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon, September 20, 2014, the entire family gathered together to say their goodbyes and to escort  Ruby to the Rainbow Bridge. As a group we delivered her to the compassionate hands of the Temple City Animal Hospital. None of us wanted her to cross alone so we all stayed with her to give her final pettings until we knew that she had safely arrived.

                Every family feels that their pet is the best and that is the way it should be for someone who has given you a lifetime of unconditional loyalty and love. While most of us will have other pets come along to hopefully fill part of the void there is always that one that can never be replaced.

                For us that was our Ruby.

Bill Dunn has been a published opinion columnist for 15 years. Any comments  can be sent to either our exalted  editor at  tmiller@beaconmedianews.com   or  to Bill directly at dunnsinferno@casegod.com   You can also find Bill on Facebook  at :   www.facebook.com/WhenAllisSaidandDunn    

MEAN STREETS IN MONKEYTOWN

   

            I don't know for sure, but it seems like the world is getting meaner. I sometimes feel as though every time I step out of my door that peril lies just outside. Maybe it's just me being paranoid, but as Kurt Cobain was attributed as saying , "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you."

            It could be the times we live in, these days of financial uncertainty. I especially feel this way when I am behind the wheel of my car. It's as though some people feel that being in control of 2000 pounds of plastic and steel gives them power they aren't experiencing in the rest of their lives. 

            When that power is not recognized, there is an unprecedented level of anger that comes to the surface and is displayed in bizarre ways. Like using their vehicle as a weapon.

            Forget the term Road Rage. That term seems far too timid for the level of what can best be described as venomous hatred toward fellow travelers. Drivers nowadays , in growing numbers, are taking it to an entirely different level.

            No longer is an extended middle finger a sufficient display of  your disapproval with other drivers ineptitude while attempting to navigate the mean streets of Southern California. Now the point needs to be driven home by instilling fear into your fellow driver.

            This is not  to say the middle finger is not an effective way to covey your feelings initially, but it can be a jumping off point that can escalate into a more intense situation. This is depending on the intelligence level of the mobile Neanderthal you are dealing with.

            If your digit exchange is with someone of a higher I.Q.  it is basically a two finger conversation and then you both move on your merry ways. It is generally with your lower level primates that you run into trouble and you can tell almost immediately if you have one of these crazy apes on your hands.

            They are the ones who feel that they need to have a conversation with you, audible or not. If that doesn't satisfy their increasing madness, and they are headed in the same direction as you are, watch out. Their next step is probably going to be one of two things. Tailgating you at a dangerously close distance or  speeding up to get in front of you so they can slow down causing you to hit your brakes.

            If one of these things happen, a word to the wise. Get away from them as quickly as possible. The evening news is littered with stories of potentially bad outcomes when dealing with baboons of this variety. Do your best not to become a statistic.

            Another area of automotive nastiness, that has become a recurring topic on the news lately, is the over the top violence being display by numerous police agencies across the Southland.

            It is not an exaggeration when I say that not a week goes by when we aren't treated to another tale of one or more officers losing their tempers and roughing up a suspect before they make it to the patrol car.

            You would think in these days where everyone is carrying a cell phone with a camera in it that these supposed keepers of  the  peace  would be a little more cognizant of the fact that they are under constant surveillance.  Often it looks like they don't care, but they should.

            I have always been a champion of the police. I mean who are you going to call if you have a problem?  Your local gang members? These people are the public servants that we put our trust in. That is why it is such a shock when we see these beatings and shootings.

            As much as we all would like to blindly put our trust in them you have to remember there isn't a group of individuals anywhere that is immune to the bad apple syndrome.  So if there ever was a group that needs to be put under a microscope constantly it is our police agencies. For the most part, they are the ones that others look to as barometers on how to act and react .

            So,  our boys and girls in blue, you need to lead by example and be more aware of the image you are portraying to the public. If it is viewed as acceptable behavior to react violently and in a mean spirited manner, regardless of the situation,  it will continue to create a circle of viciousness that none of us want.

            Like they say....Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Bill Dunn has been a published opinion columnist for 14 years. Any comments  can be sent to either our exalted  editor at  tmiller@beaconmedianews.com   or  to Bill directly at dunnsinferno@casegod.com   You can also find Bill on Facebook  at :   www.facebook.com/WhenAllisSaidandDunn